Customs Brokers: Town Hall Meeting 3pm Aug 5, 2016

August 16, 2016

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SUCCESSFUL TOWN HALL MEETING HELD FOR ASYCUDA JAMAICA AT JAMAICA CUSTOMS HEADQUARTERS

Monday August 8-2016

Commissioner of Customs Major Richard Reese on Monday August 8, advised a gathering of customs brokers, to protect themselves as they service their clients …who may not be fully compliant in reporting circumstances surrounding their importation of goods.

The Commissioner was speaking at a Town Hall meeting held at the Customs, as a part of a deliberate strategy by the Jamaica Customs team, to ensure that the smooth implementation and assimilation of the Asycuda system is effected.

Asycuda World is a Government of Jamaica project, being implemented by Jamaica Customs and funded by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) with technical assistance from the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD); the system is the principal platform used to process Customs transactions as at April 28 2016.

The Asycuda World Implementation team has been educating the stakeholder group over the period, since the official implementation of the system. This has been done through an island wide training of all stakeholders on how to interact and use the system, proficiently and also through follow up communication.

The use of the system, has already yielded a paperless and more efficient environment, to carry out business by persons and businesses who import and export globally.

Major Reese addressed the Customs Brokers who were invited to the Customs House, to share how their successes with the system have been going, and positively affecting business.

The Commissioner of Customs indicated to all involved, needed to protect themselves, as they used the system and step up the services they can now offer their clientele, through the Asycuda World Jamaica system.

Major Reese outlined scenarios where clients of brokers and importers were deliberately late in reporting import breaches, to both their brokers and importers to the detriment of them the service providers.

According to Major Reese the action that needs to be employed going forward is; that vigilance should be employed, with stakeholders sending immediate communication to inform clearance points, alerting customs, of late reports and other infractions; such as permit breaches - that could reflect badly on the industry and its players.

The Major and his team looked at several solutions, to some of the more pressing issues brought to the fore by the stakeholders in the meeting.

Present at the meeting with the stakeholders, were senior members of the Asycuda World Implementation team who explained, to the attendees several other areas to expedite efficiency using the Asycuda World Jamaica system.

In response to a popular misunderstanding by stakeholders, Technical Team Lead the Asycuda World Implementation advised the audience that duplication of payments, which has been occurring occasionally, could be mitigated by instant communication by brokers to importers.

He said that this should entail payment information being relayed of processes being mutually enacted as soon as the processes are underway.

Mr. Stewart added that the system is designed to smoothly facilitate this form of communication, and adherence to fluid fast communication, would cut these instances of hassles, like duplicate payments.

Asycuda World Functional Team Lead Nkurra Skyers addressed the issue of Entry locks, to the group who also highlighted this as another area where some confusion has been occurring.

According to Ms. Skyers an Entry Lock or any Lock being carried out in an E-document environment, means that multiple people are attempting to work on that document, which will result in a lock.

Ms. Skyers explained that the Asycuda World Jamaica system, allows one person at a time to work on the document related to the transaction. The inherent design of Asycuda World Jamaica facilitates… easy communication between parties involved in document usage.

She reminded that, the swift information flow, in this area between the working parties, would immediately stop these locks.

A national training, of all stakeholders on the proper and efficient usage of the Asycuda World Jamaica system was mounted nationally; and is still being carried out.

Asycuda World Jamaica represents a part of the official way to do business with Customs, going forward, on a new technological platform, that comprises several waves.

Meanwhile Director of Operations at Jamaica Customs Janneice Baker pointed out that the team is determined to facilitate all needs, however the stakeholders must work with the paradigms and the Jamaica Customs agents who are working assiduously, to ensure that the business processes of all are improved, under the Asycuda World Jamaica system.

Photos: (1) From left to right at the head table Deputy Commissioner of Customs Karlene Henry, Director of Operations Jamaica Customs Janneice Baker and Commissioner of Customs Major Richard Reese, all three are addressing stakeholders at a Town Hall meeting held at Customs House Newport East in Kingston Jamaica Monday August 8, 2016

(2) Custom Brokers at a Town Hall Meeting at Customs House Newport East Monday August 8 2016